Fri, 12 Nov 2010

First roadie commute, two road-ragers in one day // at 18:00

Family circumstances altered, toddler sleep requires a no show at
Goat. Normal commute home, hopefully avoiding the wind and rain.

First ride home on the new road bike.

First ride on a road bike for about a year.

First ride in look cleats for about five years.

East Oakleigh: approaching little roundabout down a gentle hill,
there's a Falcon coming down the street from my right but he's way
back and I'll be across the roundabout before he's even got there.
Surprise, should have remembered the mentality of falcadore drivers
around here - he plants the foot — must get to roundabout before
bicycle — swerves and sways onto the roundabout then brakes hard and
smokes to a halt directly in front of me as I brake and stop, foot
down, spot on the white line at the edge of the roundabout. Local
falcadore driver waves both hands up in the air in a big “what the
F#@#$” at me and then tears off spinning the wheels down the road.

East Oakleigh/Oakleigh: half a kilometre later. I turn left into
Huntingdale road, pull out to the centre and sit there indicating
right to turn into Edward street, a couple of cars pass head on going
north up Huntingdale, a white falcadore wagon pulls up at Edward
street to turn right into Huntingdale rd. Gap in traffic, off I start,
falcadore pilot plants the foot and takes off straight towards me. A
loud “OI!!!!” from me as I sprint out of the way, down comes his
window and the screaming starts “F*@#$@#$ING DICKHEAD,
GEROFFDAFUGGINROAD” as off he goes round the corner. “WATCH IT!” I
yell to the retreating car. He stops in the middle of Huntingdale
road, screams out a parting “F*#@$@ING C*NT @#$@#$....” and tears off,
spinning the wheels. At least he tore off, for a moment I thought our
local road-rager was going to come back and have a go at me.

FFS, can someone just shoot them.

At least I beat the rain home by about 45 seconds!

To add to the annoyance, yesterday I received from BV yet another
cutesy sweet but totally unhelpful piece

With all the usual crap about taking details and filling out forms and
contacting the police. All good in theory, but without photos,
witnesses, a rock-solid description of both car and driver the police
will do NOTHING, and anytime idiots like this attack you on the road
you're usually too damn busy just keeping out of their way and not
being killed to take a photo, memorise the details and write a bloody
description of the car and driver. Maybe the police should just ride
around plain clothes on bikes a bit more….

Thu, 11 Nov 2010

A letter, to me? // at 18:00

Today I received a real honest-to-goodness paper letter, a letter in
an envelope, a letter posted from faraway France. “How odd,” I
thought, who would write to me from France?

Aha, it would be "ESQ. Philip ROSSLARE" of "ROSSLARE CHAMBERS LLP," or
so I discovered as I opened the letter and saw the opening lines:

Dear Tritschler

Firstly I must solicit your confidence in this transaction; this is
by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top
secret. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will
make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that
all will be well at the end of the day.

…and so on and so forth for a page worth of Nigerian fee-forward scam.
I guess there are still enough idiots around who fall for it to make
it worthwhile mailing letters to random people half-way round the
world.

Seriously, an Irish sounding company out of a supposed Belgian office
and email addresses in Spain? At least try and get the little details
more consistent and believable next time guys! I do feel sorry for
the law firm that really is at Vlaamse Kunstlaan 3 in Antwerp, seems
that the scammers are trying to muddy the water by including that
address for their office.